Garments



Dec. 24, 1957 F. OELBAUM 2,817,089

GARMENTS Filed Jan. 9, 1956 INVENTOR. FREDA OELBA UM MAW A rroAM/z: Y5

United States Patent GARMENTS Freda Oelbaum, South Orange, N. J.

Application January 9, 1956, Serial No. 558,018

4 Claims. (Cl. 242) This invention relates to improvements in garment construction and refers, more particularly, to ladies garments and undergarments which are worn with straps, such as brassieres, slips, bathing suits, corselets and the like.

Brassieres and other undergarments now in use are provided with straps having adjustable clamps. Actual experience has shown that these clamps often do not stay closed correctly due to improper tension, with the result that the garment becomes extremely uncomfortable. Furthermore, the clamp often becomes loose after a period of wear, and the wearer usually adjusts the clamp by forcing it toward the skin, producing scratches and even skin infections. Another drawback is that the wearer of a brassiere cannot adjust the cups properly, but can only tighten the straps with the result that indentations are formed upon the shoulders of the wearer which never disappear.

It is an object of the instant invention to eliminate these drawbacks and to provide a garment having a shoulder strap adjusting device presenting means whereby the strap can be effectively adjustably fastened to the body of the garment.

Another object is to provide a garment having a shoulder strap adjusting device with non-slipping fastenings.

Yet another object is the provision of a brassiere, which is so constructed that tension is exerted not upon the straps but upon the cups with the result that a proper and secure uplift is attained and the comfort of the wearer is assured.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a garrnent having a shoulder strap adjusting device with shoulder strap fastenings, wherein metal will never touch the body of the wearer and there is no danger that the fastenings will slip out of place or become twisted.

Additional objects of the instant invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the attainment of the aforesaid objects, the garments of the present invention are provided with adjustable shoulder strap devices, consisting of fastening elements provided upon the front or the front and the back of the garment and cooperating fastening elements located upon the free ends of shoulder straps. According to a feature of the invention, one or more hooks are attached to brassiere cups while corresponding loops or eyes are secured near the end of the shoulder strap. The number of hooks and eyelets may be varied so as to make the garment adjustable to the individual type of figure. The hooks and eyelets may be placed in one row, in several rows, in a zigzag formation, or may extend at different angles to each other so as to increase the adjustability of the garment. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the shoulder strap is firmly attached to the back of the garment and carries fastening elements upon its free front end. According to another embodiment, the shoulder strap is detached and is provided with the fasten ing elements at both ends.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction 2,817,089 C6 Patented Dec. 24, 1957 2 with the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration some of the preferred embodiments of the inventive concept. In the examples illustrated the invention is shown as applied to brassieres although, as already stated, it may be applied to a variety of other garments.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows one embodiment of a brassiere in a front elevational view.

Figure 2 shows another embodiment in a partial rear elevational view of the undergarment.

Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of the shoulder strap fastening device in a partial rear elevational view of the undergarment.

Figure 4 shows the shoulder strap fastening device of Figure 3 in an enlarged fragmentary view, illustrating the positioning of the thread loops on the strap end.

Figure 5 shows a fourth embodiment of the shoulder strap fastening device in an enlarged fragmentary view, illustrating a divergent support element and the positioning of the thread loops on said support element.

Referring now in greater detail to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, a brassiere comprises cup portions 9 and 10, attached to back portions 13 and 14, respective ly. An elastic strip 24 carries eyes 19 adapted to engage hooks 18 carried upon an end of the back portion 13. The elastic strip 24 is sewn to the back member 14.

The shoulder straps 11 and 12 have rear ends attached by sewing or the like to the upper edges of the back portions 13 and 14, respectively. The straps 11 and 12 have free front ends 16 carrying a plurality of spaced thread loops 15. The loops 15 extend horizontally and are firmly secured to the strap. The pockets 9 and 10 have upper edges carrying on the inside hooks 17 securely connected to the undergarment.

I In use, the undergarment is positioned on the body of the wearer, snugly fit by the elastic strip 24 and connected by the hooks 18 and the eyes 19. The straps 11 and 12 connected to the undergarment in the back are disposed over the shoulder of the wearer. Since the straps 11 and 12 contain horizontal spaced thread loops 15 which are engageable by the hooks 17, they form an adjustable fastening device wherein the tension on the cups .of the undergarment can be regulated by selecting any one of the loops 15 for engagement with any one of the hooks 17.

Due to this arrangement, tension is not applied .directly to the straps but to the cups, so that the wearer can adjust her brassiere to be worn as high, as low, as close or as far apart as she wants it.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2, a brassiere comprises cups 20, straps 21 and 22 and back portions 25 that connect and snugly fit around the body of the wearer. 1

Each of the straps 21 and 22 comprises a front end having a plurality of spaced adjacent thread loops 26 lending themselves with the material used and firmly connected to the strap, and engageable by any one of a row of hooks 27 positioned and secured in the top of the cup portions 20 of the undergarment.

It is apparent that the series of hooks 27 secured to the top of the body or cup portions 20 of the undergarmerit engage the loops 26 on the strap to form an adjustable fastening device, so that the tension on the cups can be regulated by the engaging of successive loops 26.

It is also possible to use any one of the hooks 27 carried by a cup portion to engage any one of the loops 26 upon the corresponding strap 21 or 22. The second hook 27 may then remain disengaged. It is apparent that by these means the point of connection of the strap with the pocket may be varied horizontally as Well as vertically, thereby increasing the adjustability of the garment.

The rear end of the straps 21 and 22 is also free and carries loops 8 adapted to engage hooks 7 provided upon the back portion 25. Due to this arrangement, the back of the brassiere may be conveniently raised or lowered, as desired, without affecting the position of the front of the brassiere.

It is apparent that the same construction can be effectively applied to slips, bathing suits, etc.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, a brassiere comprises a body portion 31, straps 32, and a back portion 33. In this construction, thread loops 28 are located in staggered angular formation and are engageable by any one of adjacent hooks 29 firmly connected to the top of the body portion 31 of the undergarment. Furthermore, the hooks 29 are attached at an acute angle to the horizontal plane, so that tension upon the cups is exerted not directly vertically but at an angle which will bring the cups further together, or further apart.

It is apparent that in this construction the adjustability of the strap fastening device is greatly increased by the staggered arrangement of the fastening elements 28 and the angular position of the fastening elements 29.

In the embodiment of the strap fastening device shown in Figure 5, a strap 36 comprises an end portion 38 of divergent form which may consist of two or more pieces which are sewn together. The wide end portion 38 carries fastening elements .37.

While there is disclosed a few embodiments of the device, it will be apparent that other adaptations will be possible. For example, the locations of the hooks and eyes may be conveniently reversed. Hence, it is desired that only such limitations be imposed on the appended claims as are required by the prior art.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ladies garment having two interconnected bust supporting cup portions, a back portion connected with said cup portions, whereby the garment is adapted to extend around the wearer, and two shoulder straps, each of said shoulder straps having an end adapted to be connected to said back portion and another front end, a fastening device for separately connecting a section of each strap adjacent its front end to a separate cup portion, said fastening device comprising at least one fastening element mounted directly upon an inner surface of the cup portion adjacent to the upper edge thereof, and a plurality of opposed fastening elements mounted upon a surface of said strap section for selective engagement with the first-mentioned fastening element, at least some of said opposed fastening elements being located at different distances from a longitudinal edge of the strap, whereby directions of pulling forces exerted by the straps upon the cup portions may be varied sidewise.

2. In a ladies garment having two interconnected bust supporting cup portions, a back portion connected with said cup portions, whereby the garment is adapted to extend around the wearer, and two shoulder straps, each of said shoulder straps having an end adapted to be connected to said back portion and another front end, a fastening device for separately connecting a section of each strap adjacent its front end to a separate cup portion, said fastening device comprising at least one fastening element mounted directly upon an inner surface of the cup portion adjacent to the upper edge thereof, and

a plurality of opposed fastening elements mounted upon a surface of said strap section for selective engagement with the first-mentioned fastening element, a plurality of said opposed fastening elements being located in at least one horizontal row extending substantially at right angles to a longitudinal edge of the strap, whereby directions of pulling forces exerted by the straps upon the cup portions may be varied sidewise.

3. In a ladies garment having two interconnected bust supporting cup portions, a back portion connected with said cup portions, whereby the garment is adapted to extend around the wearer, and two shoulder straps, each of said shoulder straps having an end adapted to be connected to said back portion and another front end; a fastening device for separately connecting a section of each strap adjacent its front end to a separate cup portion, said fastening device comprising at least one fastening element mounted directly upon an inner surface of the cup portion adjacent to the upper edge thereof, and a plurality of opposed fastening elements mounted upon a surface of said strap section for selective engagement with the first-mentioned fastening element, at least some of said opposed fastening elements being located in a staggered relationship, whereby directions of pulling forces exerted by the straps upon the cup portions may be varied sidewise.

4. In a ladies garment having two interconnected bust supporting cup portions, a back portion connected with said cup portions, whereby the garment is adapted to extend around the wearer, and two shoulder straps, each of said shoulder straps having an end adapted to be connected to said back portion and another front end, a fastening device for separately connecting a section of each strap adjacent its front end to a separate cup portion, said fastening device comprising at least one fastening element carried by said strap section, and a plurality of fastening elements which are separated one from the other and which are mounted side by side upon an inner surface of the cup portion below the upper edge thereof, said plurality of fastening elements being located upon an inner surface of said cup portion entirely below said upper edge and having portions which are selectively engaged by said one fastening element and which are located in their entirety upon an inner surface of said cup portion below said upper edge, whereby pulling forces exerted by said one fastening element of said shoulder straps upon said fastening element of said cup portions are distributed throughout the surfaces of the cup portions without creasing or folding the cup portions and whereby directions of said pulling forces may be effectively varied without such creasing or folding.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,023,612 Park et al Dec. 10, 1935 2,032,031 Weisman Feb. 25, 1936 2,055,094 Zweben Sept. 22, 1936 2,121,088 La Rue June 21, 1938 2,400,499 Gerace May 21, 1946 2,714,211 Davis Aug. 2, 1955 

